Cold-storage structure



A. C. LEGG.

COLD STORAGE STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.I3, 1917.

1,379,269. Patented May 24, 1921.

y'will*II'IIII'III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIWW IIIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED etres Param* OFFICE.

ANDREW C. LEGG, Ol BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO OF BIRMIINGHAIVI, ALABAMA.

R. D. JOHNSTON, JR.,

COLD-STORAGE STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application filed August 13, 1917. Serial No. 185,965.

Cold-Storage Structures, of which the fol-` lowing is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of a cold storage plant, and my object is to so control the circulation of cold air as to prevent the radiation of heat into the storage chamber to any appreciable extent and to keep the air in the cold storage chamber dry and at a uniform temperature. `Any suitable refrigerating medium may be provided in the refrigerating compartment of the cold storage plant and where I refer to ice hereinafter I mean to include any refrigerating medium.

I have discovered that if the cold air circulation from the ice chamber be diverted to the walls surroundingthe cold storage chamber and caused to flow downwardly therethrough in a substantially continuous sheet about the chamber before entering it I am enabled to utilize this layer of cold air to effectively maintain a low temperature in the cold storage chamber.

As a further development of this idea, I have found that if the cold storage chamber walls be provided with chiots orair pas* sages so that the downward fiowing layer of cold air from the ice chamber is split at the bottom of the wall` and a part thereof diverted outwardly, I obtain a rising insulat ing outer layer of cold .air which returns through `the sidewallsto the top of the ice chamber and carries with it practically all heat that is radiated through the outer walls andv thus diverts it'from the storage chamber. The condensation of moisture is reduced to a minimum in the storage chamber which I am able to keep very dry as compared with the present ice chilled cold storage plants. So long as there is sufficient ice in the ice chamber to maintain this outside cold air circulation I can prevent the radiation of heat into the cold storage chamber and maintain its. temperature substantially constant.

A further importantfeature of inven-n tion relates to themanner of construction of the cold storage plant. I have found that buildingtiles are peculiarly adapted for the formation? of thewalls with the arrangements of air passages desired and to this end these tiles are used and so laid that they form the necessary inner, intermediate and outer passages for the circulating sheets of air. Moreover the openings in these tiles being in vertical alinement can be filled in Y with concrete opposite the points where the overhead I- beams or roof supports will rest, thus affording concrete pillarsbuilt into the walls for supporting the overhead load of,

ice as well as the load of meat .suspended in the chamber.

My invention also involvesimprovements 'inthe arrangement of the inlet and outlet ports for cold air circulation in the cold storage chamber and also in the arrangement of the ducts for returning the warm air from the storage chamber to VtheV ice chamber.

As illustrative of the preferred embodiment of my invention, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel shows a vertical transverse sec` tion through the cold storage structure.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view takenon the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the longitudinal center through the front end ofthe box showing the entrance vestibule and the air circulation Fig. the tile walls in perspective carrying'the cement column which supports the transverse I-beams.

Similar reference numerals refer to simi-.

lar parts throughout the drawings.

In constructing the box the iioor is laid with hollow tile l forming a cold `air space 2 and resting upon a separate layer-of cork or like material 3 which in turn rests on the floor or foundation for the whole structure. rihe side walls of the structure are similarly constructed and the description of onewill apply to both.

In Fig. 1I show a cross-section through a side wall. This is formed `by elongated building` tiles 4 which are of the `well known type embodying the intermediate partitions 6 and 7 which subdivide the tile to form three vertical air spaces 8, 9 and l0. These tiles are set vertically with their respective spaces l0 on the inside of the wall and their spaces 9 on the outside ofthe wall, The spaces 8 serve to separate the inner and outer rows of spaces 9 and 10. The walls are system therefor. l d is a detail view showing a section of iig 14 of corlr is appliedto the side walls of the structure and held in place by a built in wall of sheeting 15. Y iatwise form the top of the ice chamber. At` intervals I provide transversely disposed I-'beams 17 to support the load ot ice in the chamber 13 yand to support the hangers for the meat in the chamber 11. These I-beams. abut against the tiles 12 and are supported upon the inner ends of the upper tiles Land the vertical partitions l" of Vthe tiles. 1n order however to givethese I-beamsa very strong support, 'concrete is poured into the registering spaces 8 and 10 where-each I-` beam is to rest and I thus form concrete columns 13 in the wall which will take the' load oil' the wall tiles. On the lower flange` of the I-beams rest transversely arranged- T-bars 19,which serve to support iiat tiles 16 which form thebottom oi the refrigerating chamber and vthe top ot the storage chamber. At several points along the center line of the refrigerating chamber I provide vertical stacks 20 formed by square tile hav-` ing siX` air spaces therein, the inner lspaces of vthese tiles being` filled lwith concrete to form vertical columns 21 which serve as center supports for thetiles 22 forming the roof of the refrigerating chamber 13.. These stacks restat their lower ends on the "bars 19 and their outer air spaces 23 are left open below into the top of the storage chamber 11 and have their sides broken away at the top ,ot the refrigerating chamber'to form outlet ports 24. Iron columns 25 resting on suitable bases 26 set below the iioor tiling 2 serve to support the I-beams 17 at their centers. vrI`he floor 27 of the retrigerating chamber, formed on the tiles 16, stops short of the intermediate air ducts 3 of the side walls and if desired also of the rear end wall of the refrigerating chamber so; that the cold air chilled by the bloclrs oi ice will flow from the refrigerating chamber over the edges of its floor and down through the' central air ducts`8 to the bottom thereof, where the tile is broken away to form ports 28, 29 and 30, the ports 29 admitting` the cold air into the air chiots 10 through which,

it is forced by the descending` columns or cold `air in the ductsS to rise and enter the cooling chamber 11 at the top through ports 31. The ports 30V open from the ducts 10 into the cold air space formed in the floor tile 2Vand keep the latter filled with cold Hollow ltiles '22 laid through the ports 31 flows downwardly in the directionvof the arrows, Fig. 1, and then rises to flow through the return' passages 23 in the columns 2G into the top of the reirigerating chamber. The ports 29 are designed to permit only the requisite percentage of the descending body of cold air to enter the outsideair ducts 9 in the wall to prevent any appreciable radiation of heat to the cold air in the central air ducts 8. This permits me to keep the air entering the inside air ducts 10 at a practically uniform temperature and very dry. It will also result that the volume and rate of low of the cold air in the outer ducts 9 will be automatically proportioned to the external'temperature as the latter controls the amount of heat radiated which in turn controls thel draft in the ues 9. In very cold weather the draft in the outer tlues is negligible and practically the whole circulation takes place through the storage chamber, whereas in very hot weather practically the whole cir* culation takes place through the outer ducts 9, there being only suiiicient amount oi the cold air diverted into the storage chamber to preserve its uniform low temperature.

In order to, as far as possible, prevent the admission of warm air to the cold Storage chamber when it is necessary to, enter it, I provide. a vestibule entrance 33 having'an outwardly opening outer door 34 andan inwardly opening inner door 35, and from the,`

top of this vestibule I. lead an air duct 36 (Fig. 3) to the top of the refrigerating chamber where, like the tile stacks 20, it is provided with an outlet port 24Cthrough which the warm air entering the vestibule is returned to the refrigerating chamber and not permitted Vto enter the cold storage chamber. y It will be understood that the means vfor obtaining the circulation of air described are only those which I consider preferable asV various other arrangements maybe resorted to without departure from the principles underlying my` invention. l

It will be understood that the refrigerating chamber is provided withsome suitable drainage system including a trap to carry oli' the ice water, and should it develop ,that there is any tendencyV under excessive heaty conditions 'for moisture to condense in the outer ducts 9 this water will enter the spacesA i' in theloor tiles `2 andthese tiles are suitably broken away as at 37 to establish communicatlon between the several: transverse air passages formed in the floor so that/all may drain to a common trap38. Under ordinary operatingv conditions the provision of the trap 38 is unnecessary.

It will also be understood that Ywhen I refer to ice and toice chamber in the specifcation andr claims, I mean to include any* leading from the ice ,chamber downwardly and back upwardly through vertical walls of the storage chamber and opening into the upper portion of the storage chamber, andv `return air ducts leading'fromthetop of the storage chamber upwardly into the ice chamber. i

2. In combination, an ice chamber, a storage chamber below the ice chamber, coldn air ducts leading from the ice chamber downf wardlyand `back upwardly through opposite side walls of thestorage chamber. and

opening into `the upper portion of ther stor-A age chamber, and air return ducts spaced -substantially midway between said side walls and leading upwardly from the roof of the storage chamber to the upper portion of the ice chamber. p

3. In combination, anice chamber, a storage chamber below the ice chamber, a series of cold air ducts extending the length of the opposite side walls of said chambers leading from the bottom portion of the ice chamber downwardly and back upwardly through said side walls of the storage chamber and opening at opposite points into the upper portion of the latter, and a plurality of upright warm air return ducts disposed midway between said opposite side walls of said storage chamber and connecting the upper portions of the ice and storage chambers.

4. A cold storage structure comprising a top ice chamber and a bottom storage chamber, the storage chambers marginal walls being formed by vertical conduits which conduct cold air from the ice chamber to the bottom of the said walls and back up to the upper portion of the storage chamber and open thereinto, air return ducts from the storage to the ice chamber, and a hollow bottom for the storage chamber having communication with all said passages and adapted to be charged with cold air thereby.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cold storage chamber, an overhead ice chamber, means to conduct cold air from the ice chamber to the base of walls of the storage chamber, two sets', of conduits to splitsaid cold air circulation at the base of said walls andE return part of it through oneset directly to the ice chamber and part of it through said walls into the upper part of the storage chamber, and warm air return ducts opening through the storage chamber roof and terminating in the top of the ice` chamber.

6. In a refrigerating apparatus, a coldl storagechamber an overhead ice chamber, conduitsV to conduct cold air from theice chamber to the baseof Walls of the storage chamber, ductsto return to the ice chamber.

part of said cold air through the storage, chamber walls in the form of a substantially continuous insulating sheet disposed on the outside yof said conduits, and other chiots to return the rest of the cold air to the upper part of the storage chamber and disposed on theinside of said conduits, and top draft flues to return the warm air from the middle portionof the storage chambers top to the ice chamber.

7. In combination, a cold storage compartment, 'an ice compartment above the storage chamber, walls of the storage compartment being formed by series of vertical air `ducts connectedto the said compartments and toeachother to 'cause the cold air from the ice v compartment to flow downwardly and back upwardl'ythrough walls of the storage com# partment beforeenteringuthe. storage compartment, and'vertical fines to provide a return -circulationof air from the'storage toV the ice compartment `which pass upwardly through. thepicecompartment at an intermediate pointand open ynear its top.` v

8. In a cold storage plant, a storage cham ber, an overhead ice chamber, three series of air ducts extending downwardly through the walls of the storage chamber, the ducts of the several series being in communication at their lower ends, the intermediate ducts leading from the ice chamber in position to conduct therefrom a circulation of cold air and deliver it to the bottoms of the ducts of the other two series, the ducts of the inner series opening into the storage chambenthe ducts of the outer series opening into the upper portion of the ice chamber, and return air circulation ducts leading from the store age chamber to the ice chamber.

9. In a cold storage plant, a storage chamber, an overhead ice chamber, three series of vertical air ducts extending downwardly through walls of the storage chamber, the ducts of the several series being in communication at their lower ends, the intermediate ducts leading from the ice chamber in position to conduct therefrom a circulation of cold air and deliver it to thebottoms of the ducts of the other two series, the ducts of the outer series being juxtaposed to pass a substantially continuous sheet of air upwardly therethrough to the ice chamber, the'ducts of the inner series opening into the storage chamber, and return air .circulation ducts f leading from the storage chamber to the ice chamber. Y

10. In a cold storage plant,a storage ber, an overhead'ice chamber, three series' of vertical air ducts extending downwardly through walls of the storage chambenthe ducts of the `several series 4being in communication at their lowerends, the intermediate' ducts leading fromtheice chamber in Vposition to conduct therefrom a circulationitof cold air and deliver it to the bottoms of the ducts of the other two series,\the ducts of the inner series opening into i the vtop of the i storage lchamber through opposite sidewalls.

thereof, and return air circulation iiues leading from the storage chamberto the icef chamber and spaced equi-distantly from said side ducts, the ducts of eachV series being juxtaposed soas to pass vertically therel through ai substantially continuous sheet of v cellular walls for said chambers, Athe vcells being arranged to form inner, intermediate and outer series of air ductsin wallsyof the storage chamber, the intermediate series only having communication with the .lower portion oi" the ice chamber, the inner series hav ing communication with the upper portionV of the storage chamber, the outer series hav.Vv ing communicationwith the upper portion of the ice chamber, saidk walls havingfports" to 'deliver the cold yair from the bottom of the intermediate cells to the bottoms'of` the 11. A cold storage plant comprising a storage chamber, an overhead ice chamber, and

inner andfoutercells,- andreturn air ducts leading from the storagechamber to` thevice chamber.V Y

chamber with cellular bottom and side walls,

i v '40 l2. Acold storageplant having a storage v an overhead ice chamber Vwith cellular side 13. Ina cold storagey plant,a storage chamber having cellular side walls formed of hollow tiles which provide therein th-reeseries of air vertical passages, the-passagesV ofeach seriesextending the length of the walls, hollow tiles forming the sidewalls of vthe ice chamber which have communicationvwith the outer s eriesof air passages in the storage,f

.60 eral series` being in .l ,communication at the .s

chamber wall, the passages Aofthe said sev-V bottom of the storage chamber walls,'`the` intermediate and outer seriesofpassages having communication at their upper ends at: different levelswith `the ice chamber `and V the inner series having communication with the storage chamber, and air return ductsy leading from-the storage chamber to the ice chamber.- ,Y i f In testimony whereof I aHiX' my signature.

j QANDREwc. Lisse;`

l Witness: Y NOMIE WELSH. 

